Rules question regarding Ezekiel's Mind Worm power

[Ultra Magnus]

Hi,

 

I was hoping to get the DA community's thoughts on the correct application of Ezekiel's Mind Worm power.

 

Mind Worm is listed as a D3 attacks focused witchfire attack. The BRB states that the determination of whether you hit your desired model is made "when the Psychic Test is taken" and if failed your power will be resolved against a randomly selected model.

 

Now let's assume Ezekiel rolls up 3 Mind Worm shots. Does this mean that:

 

Scenario #1

 

1. If Ezekiel passes his psychic test all three shots are then rolled against the target model (so one test, three shots)

2. If Ezekiel fails his psychic test, then all three shots end up being applied against the single hapless marine standing next to the commander.

 

-or-

 

Scenario #2

 

1. Ezekiel makes a psychic test for each individual shot to see if it hit's its desired (focus) target or a random model in the unit.

 

Logic seems to indicate the second scenario but the rules seem to imply the first. If the first scenario is correct then this power is much weaker than it appears as the "misfiring" of all your focus attacks into a single model wastes the potential of multiple shots and guarantees you will only ever kill a maximum of one model.

 

Would love to get some insight from DA players who have had some experience with him or are better rules lawyers than myself.

 

Ultra Magnus

[ObscuraZero]

I'd say:

If Ezekiel passed his psyhic test then d3 mindworms would be directed against either chosen or random target based on the result of the passed psyhic test. 5 or less on the successful psychic test would allow him to chosen target for the d3 mindworms, 6 or more on the successful psychic test than random trooper in the same squad as chosen target takes the d3 hits.

If Ezekiel failed his psyhic test then nothing would happen.

[Chaplain Lucifer]

First he has to pass psychic tests and then you detemine if he hits the target and only then you see with how many shots. 

Ex1: he chooses targets, rolls 10 for psychic test, chooses random target, gets d3 hits on that target.

EX2 he chooses targets, rolls 5 for psychic test,  gets d3 hits on that target.

 

In resume, he only knows where and how many hits go after the final target is chosen.

[Ultra Magnus]

Thank you both for chiming in. It looks like my "scenario 1" assumption was correct. A shame really as it seems like the multiple shot aspect of the power will be wasted a good portion of the time killing a single 1W model in the IC's unit.

[SvenONE]

Im actually in the process of doing the probability on E's MW. But yes scenario 1 is right.

[Ultra Magnus]

Im actually in the process of doing the probability on E's MW. But yes scenario 1 is right.

Suppose Ezekiel misses his focus target roll. Given that he is an IC, wouldn't he still have a chance of hitting his intended target if he lands any precision shots? In a multi-shot scenario it would still give him an outside chance of not only hitting his intended target, but also getting multiple kills.

[SvenONE]

Now there's nothing that says that psychic shooting attacks are subject to the precision shots rule, but there also isn't anything barring them from doing so.  I'd say maybe you have a case with regular witchfires, but seeing as how a focused witchfire is a precision shot, it wouldn't really make sense for them to "double up" the rule so to speak.  A regular witchfire seems like it could use that argument a lot better, but not a focused one.

 

Also focused witchfires are applied directly to a model, not a unit.  A precision shot is after a unit has fired at a unit and the wound is allocated to a particular model.  A FW skips this step and applies the wound directly to the model.

 

I can't say you're wrong because I can't find specific language to prohibit what you would be trying to do with a 6 on a to-hit roll with MW, but I just don't think it was intended that way.

[shabbadoo]

How it works is in the language.  A focused witchfire power targets *one model*, NOT one unit.  You therefore roll to hit *that model*, whether it is one you get to choose because you rolled 5 or less on your psychic test, or it is a different random model because you rolled more than a 5.  if you roll a "6" with any of the d3 attacks, you hit *only that one model*.

[march10k]

I'll say it: you're wrong! ;)